Champion Enterprises will shut factory in Guin

Michigan-based Champion Enterprises said late Monday it will shutter a manufactured home plant in Guin because the facility is not profitable enough. The plant recently had 375 employees.

"We regret having to make the decision to close our Guin, Ala., operation, which has been part of the Champion organization since the late 1980s, but its capacity utilization and profitability continue to run well below acceptable levels and any near-term improvement appears unlikely," said Champion CEO William Griffiths.

Champion said the Guin plant is the seventh facility it has shut down since mid-2006 amid "challenging U.S. housing markets."

The "2007 Alabama Manufacturers Register" says Champion operates a 125,000-square-foot Gateway Homes plant in Guin. It was established in 1987 and had 325 workers when surveyed, the publication said.
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